Shoe last construction



April 18, 1967 v. J. LEVAGGI SHOE LAST CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1965 i win INVENTOR. VICTOR J. LEVAGGI ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1965 FIG.4

INVENTOR'. VICTOR J. LEVAGGI ATTORNEYS April 18, 1967 v. J. LEVAGGI SHOE LAST CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 5, 1965 INVENTOR. VICTOR J. L EVAGGI gnawm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,314,091 SHOE LAST CONSTRUCTION Victor J. Levaggi, 151 Dodge St., Beverly, Mass. 01915 Filed Jan. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 423,493 Claims. (Cl. 12135) This invention relates to a shoe last and associated control mechanism. It relates more particularly to a shoe last which is especially adapted for use in the fully automated or assembly line manufacture of shoes. The construction is simple and practical. Last makers can make this last with a minimum of jigs and fixtures.

The shoe industry has lagged somewhat behind other industries in adapting their plants to fully automated operation. This lag has been due in great part to want of a shoe last capable of performing its various functions automatically. The requirements for such a last are quite stringent. It must be fairly simple, and inexpensive to make. It must be capable of being interchanged rapidly with other similar lasts to accommodate different sizes and styles of shoes with minimal down time.

Even more importantly, such a last must be capable of orienting or positioning the shoe at a variety of different angles at successive stations in the assembly line depending upon the manufacturing operation to be performed at the particular station. F or uniformity of manufacture, this requires that the last hold the shoe in just the proper alignment at all times.

Finally, the last must be able to accept the constituent parts of the shoe whether the shoe is of the slip-lasted, welted or other type, and after the lasting operation; it must be able to remove the finished shoe automatically so as to be in position for receiving the constituent materials for the next shoe. It is extremely important to note in this regard that the finished lasted shoe is (fitted extremely snugly on the last. In prior lasts, this removal operation is critical and diflicult because the forces developed at the rear of the shoe when removing it from the last tend to strain, and even split, the seams at the counter section of the shoe. The construction of my new last makes provision for relieving that tension on the shoe just prior to removing the shoe from the last.

Heretofore, myriad shoe lasts have been devised in attempts to simplify the problem of removing the finished shoe from the last. These prior lasts usually comprised a plurality of sections and included various types of hinges, slides, hooks, or other such fixtures to constrain one last section to move relative to another in such a way as to relieve the lengthwise tension on the shoe. One of the most common of those lasts employed front and rear sections which mated along a downwardly, rearwardly radius cut. The two last sections were attached together by means of a mechanism which permitted the forward section, when released, to slide downwardly, rearwardly or to flex relative to the rear section thereby lessening the lengthwise tension on the shoe. The last was supported by a jack post extending up into the rear last section.

While these prior lasts have proved satisfactory for use in hand-lasting operations, they are not suitable for the automated manufacture of shoes. In the first place, they are elaborate and very expensive to make, because of complicated saw cuts and hardware. But even more importantly, they are still not rigid enough to hold and position the shoe, within the required tolerances, for successive automatic operations on an assembly line. In these prior lasts, the jack post engagement through the rear last section does not afford adequate support for the last. Moreover, the fixtures loosen and the two last 3,314,091 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 with respect to one another after the last has been in use for only a relatively short period of time. Finally, although when released, the last untcnsions the shoe, it still causes the shoe to flex, and an appreciable force is required to remove the shoe from the last.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a shoe last which is particularly adapted for use in manufacturing shoes on an automated basis, requiring considerably less handling of the shoe from its initial positioning on the last until after the finished lasted shoe is removed from the last.

Another primary object of this invention is to provide a shoe last which will facilitate the positioning of the unlasted shoe or its constituent parts on the last.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shoe last which will also automatically remove the finished lasted shoe from the last at the end of the assembly line with substantially no tension or fiexure or stress on the finished shoe.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shoe last which is simple and inexpensive to make using conventional last making techniques.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a shoe last which automatically maintains the shoe in the exact alignment required for each operation on the shoe at successive stations in the assembly line.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a shoe last construction and associated control mechanism which will permit the ready interchanging of shoe lasts to accommodate different shoe types, styles and sizes.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side View, with parts in section, of a shoe last and associated control mechanism embodying the principles of this invention at the beginning of the timing sequence showing an unlasted shoe being placed on last;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 at one stage of its manufacture;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 but at a later stage in the timing sequence, showing the jack posts in the elevated position;

FIG. 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIG. .1, and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but at the end of the timing sequence, showing removal of shoe.

In general, my new shoe last has a solid forepart and a separable counter section. The forepart and counter section are separated by an oblique cut extending from a point at the rear of the last fairly near the top thereof, upward through the arch area and thence through the bottom of the last. By the term last bottom, it will be understood that I mean the surface of the last adjacent the sole of the shoe, and by the term last top, I mean the thimble plate area. The forepart of the last is rigidly secured to the jack section in such a way that correct alignment of the forepart with respect to the jack section is maintained at all times.

Provision is made for properly positioning and rigidly securing the separable counter section in mating alignment with the last forepart during the entire lasting operation. Further provision is made for releasing the shoe by releasing the separable counter section when shoe is completed. The counter section slips off with the shoe sections themselves move so that the shoe undergoes substantially no strain as it is being removed from the last. The last and jack section are rotatively mounted on a base fixed to the stationing apparatus and they can be oriented to any angle or position required by the particular manufacturing step.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 1, the last proper, indicated generally at 10, has a main forepart 12 and a separable counter section 14. The forepart 12 is rigidly, but removably, secured to jack section 18 which in turn is rotatively supported on a base 20,

The last is adapted to accommodate an unlasted shoe 22. For purposes of illustration only, we will assume that shoe 22 is a slip-lasted shoe. It will be appreciated, however, that this last is capable just as well of lasting a welted or many other types of shoes.

Prior to inserting the unlasted shoe 22 on the last forepart 12, the separable counter section 14 is placed in the counter portion of shoe 22. A mechanism indicated generally at 24 is provided to facilitate the proper positioning of the counter section, with respect to the forepart 12 as will be described later in detail. Also a retractable locking mechanism, indicated generally at 26 in the jack section 18 and whose operation will be described later, aligns the counter section 14 and locks it in position against the forepart 12.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the last 10 is initially a unitary structure which is shaped in accordance with the usual last-making techniques. That is, it may be constructed of wood or plastic or even cast aluminum or other substance. If the lasting operation is to include heating of the shoe, the third type is preferable because provision can be made easily in the last for accommodating electrical heating elements.

Front and rear thimble holes 28 and 30 are drilled in last 10 while it still is in one iece. The holes 28 and 30 extend vertically, downwardly from the top of the last 10 into the counter section 14. The forward hole 28 has a slightly larger diameter than rear hole 30 and extends up somewhat beyond the hole 38. A pair of thimbles 32, 34 are inserted into the openings 28 and 30 respectively. The thimbles 32 and 34 are secured there by cement or screws (not shown) and serve as liners for the holes 28 and 38. The upper portion 32a of thimble 32 has a reduced diameter bore for reasons that will become apparent later.

A rectangular thimble plate 36 is secured to the top of the last 10 by means of screws (not shown). An opening 38 is formed in the thimble plate 36 coincident with thimble 32 in the last 18. Similarly, an opening 4%) is formed aft of opening 38 and coincident with thimble 34. Thus, there are two passages which extend from the underside of the thimble plate 36 to points near the bottom of last 10. In actual practice, thimbles 32 and 34 can be formed integrally with the thimble plate 36.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a horizontal hole 42 is drilled into the back of last 10 extending in so as to intersect the thimble 34 near the bottom thereof. The entrance of the hole 42 into bore of the thimble 34 has a slightly reduced diameter. A spring loaded pin 44 is placed into hole 42 and protrudes somewhat into the bore of thimble 34. Finally, a plug 46 secured in the end of hole 42 compresses the spring so that the pin 44 is biased to the right as seen in FIG. 1.

Still referring to FIG. 2, up to this point in the manufacture of the last, it is a unitary structure. Now, however, a straight saw-cut 48 is made in the last 10. The saw-cut 48 extends from a point 50 at the rear of the last near the top thereof to a point 52 at the bottom of the last in the region of the arch. It will be understood that the point 50 is below the counter of a last mounted shoe as seen in FIG. 3.

Thus, for the first time, the last 10 is divided into the forepart 12 and the separable counter section 14 whose corresponding opposing surfaces 12a, and 14a mate along saw-cut 48. A fiber spacer 54 is cemented to surface 14a to make up for the material removed b the sawing operation and insure perfect mating of the two sections 12 and 14.

It is important to note here that the saw-cut 48 crosses the thimble holes 28 and 30 wholly contrary to accepted practice. Hence, the thimbles 32 and 34 are divided into separable upper and lower portions 32a, 34a and 32b, 3417 respectively. Finally, a hole 56 is countersunk down from surface 12a into last forepart 12 coaxially with hole 28 for reasons that will become apparent.

Referring again to FIG. 1, and also to FIG. 3, the last 10 is removably mounted on the jack section 18. The jack section 18 has a transverse key-way 58 in its top surface which is adapted to receive very snugly the thimble plate 36. Thus, the plate 36 and key-way 58 coact to maintain the last 10 in the proper alignment relative to the jack section 18. The last 10 is held firmly on the jack section 18 by means of a tubular hold down bolt 60, the lower end of which is threadedly received in an opening 62 in the top of jack section 18. The hold down bolt 60 is snugly, but slidably received in thimble 32 and is long enough to extend up through the last forepart 12 and terminate with an exteriorly threaded portion within the countersunk opening 56. A washer 64 is placed over the hold down bolt 60 followed by a nut 66 which is screwed down tightly, thereby very rigidly securing the last 10 to the jack section 18. When properly screwed down on the bolt 60, the nut 66 is recessed into the opening 56 and does not extend up beyond the surface 12a of forepart 12.

As mentioned previously, the separable counter section 14 is properly aligned with, and locked in place on, forepart 12 by a locking means 26 positioned within the jack section 18. Access to the interior of the jack section 18 may be gained through a side opening 68 which is normally covered by a plate (not shown).

The locking means 26 comprises a pair of upstanding front and rear jack posts 70 and 72, respectively. The front jack post 70 extends from a point within the jack section 18 up through the tubular hold down bolt 60 and terminates in a rounded upper end 700. The jack post 70 is snugly, but slidably received Within the bore of bolt 60 and also the thimble portion 32a. The rear jack post 72, on the other hand, extends from a point below the base 20, through the jack section 18, and into the rear thimble 34 where it is slidably received. The upper end of jack post 72 is tapered to a rounded point 72a. Just below the taper is a circumferential groove 74 for receiving the pin 44 as will be described presently. The two jack posts 70 and 72 are rigidly connected together via an anm 73. The jack posts extend through vertical openings 75 in the ends of arm 73 and are prevented from sliding therein by set screws 77.

The locking means 26 is movable up and down within the last 10 and jack section 18. For this, any conventional reciprocating means (not shown) may be attached to the lower end of jack post 72 below base 20. The range of vertical movement of locking means 26 is such that when it is in its fully lowered or retracted position (FIG. 5), the ends 70a and 72a of the respective jack posts 70 and 72 lie below the surface 12a of last forepart 12. But when the locking means 26 is in its fully raised position (FIG. 3), the upper ends 70a and 72a of the jack posts extend up substantially to the bottom ends of thimbles 32 and 34, respectively, when the separable last section 14 is properly mated on the forepart 12. When the last 10 is in the latter condition, the spring loaded pin 44 engages in the groove 74 of jack post 72 and prevents inadvertent removal of the separable counter section 14. This is useful when there is no shoe on the last or during welt lasting.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the jack section 18 is mounted for rotation on the base 20. For this, a tubular member 76 is rigidly secured at one end by screws 79 (FIG. 3) to the bottom of the jack section 18 coaxially with jack post 72. Tubular member 76 extends down through a bearing opening 78 in base 20. The tubular member 76 actually forms the core or armature of a circular solenoid or selsyn, the toroidal field winding 80 of which is rigidly secured to the bottom of base 20. The tubular member 76 extends down through the central opening 78 in winding 80 and terminates slightly below the Winding. The field winding 80 is connected to a source of electrical current (not shown). When energized, winding 80 turns the tubular member 76 (and also jack section 18 and last selectively in one direction or the other rotatively depending upon the direction of the field.

. Referring now to FIG. 1 and also FIG. 4, a discoid registering plate 82 is secured by screws 84 to the bottom of tubular member 76. Plate 82 has a central opening 86 for loosely receiving therethrough the rear jack post 72. Plate 82 is also provided with a series of notches 88a 88d disposed angularly around its periphery. The angular positions of the notches 88a-88d would correspond to the angular positions the last 10 must have at successive stat-ions in the assembly line. A solenoid 90 mounted via a bracket 91 on the underside of base releases a plunger 92 when one of the grooves 8-8a-88d is in register with the plunger 92. This insures that the plate 82 and hence last 10 are maintained in the proper position at the successive manufacturing stations.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the pressure mechanism indicated at 2-4, referred to previously, is particularly useful when manufacturing slip-lasted shoes on my last 10 to assist in mounting the unlasted upper on the last. To my knowledge, heretofore, in prefit lasting, not only has the shoe upper been placed on the last by hand, but hand pressure has also had to be applied to force the counter portion of the shoe upper down over the counter section of the last. My pressure mechanism 24 applies pressure mechanically and automatically to help position the upper on the last. More particularly, the mechanism 24 comprises an arm 96 which is suitably mounted from a fixture (not shown) adjacent to the assembly line. A sleeve 98 is adjustably secured to arm 96. The sleeve is pivotally connected via a link 100 to a pad 102 which is adapted to push downwardly and rearwardly, along the direction of saw-cut 48, against the heel section 22a of a shoe 22 being positioned on the last 10 (FIG. 1). In this way, the meohanism24 assists in mating the separable counter section 14 with the forepart 12 despite the opposition offered by the gradually tensioning shoe 22.

In normal use a succession of my shoe lasts moves with an endless conveyor, turntable or other such stationing apparatus stopping and positioning themselves at each station successively for each operation on the shoe. Illustratively, I will describe some of the steps employed in lasting a slip-lasted shoe.

At the first station, an operator places a last counter section 14 in the counter portion of an unlasted preiit upper 22 as seen in FIG. 1. Then the operator slips the upper over the last forepart 12 approximately to the dotted line position indicated in FIG. 1. After this initial hand loading step, theentire operation is automatic.

Next, as the shoe 22 is placed on the last forepart 12, the mechanism 24 is actuated by a microswitch (not shown). The arm 96 moves so that the pad 102 engages the heel section 22a of the shoe 22 as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1. The arm 96 continues to move approximately parallel to the saw-cut 48 in last 10 so that the counter section 14 is pushed downwardly-rearwardly with respect to forepart 12 to the solid line position in FIG. 1 and hence to a position wherein it mates with forepart 12 (FIG. 3).

Simultaneously, the locking mechanism 26 is elevated thereby raising the jack posts 70 and 72 up into the thimb le portions 32a and 34a respectively in counter section 14. As soon as the counter section reaches the solid line position of FIG. 1, the elevating tapered end 72a of post 72 wedges into the thimble portion 34a facilitating the mating operation. By this, it not only guides the counter section 14 to just the proper position on forepart 12, permitting plenty of leeway in the initial positioning of the section on the forepart 12, but also pushes the counter section 14 rearwardly in spite of the force due to the lasting of the shoe 22. When the two jack posts 70 and 72 are in their fully raised positions within their respective thimbles (FIG. 3), the spring loaded pin 44 snaps into the groove 74 in jack post 72 holding the counter section 14 against accidental vertical removal. Then the pressure mechanism 24 which has been pressing the heel of the shoe Wit-h the proper pressure, is caused to retract and it waits for the neXt last 10 to approach its station.

It is important to note that when the last leaves the first station it is a rigid unit from counter section 14 to base 20. That is, the counter section 14 is locked in the correct alignment on forepart 12 by the two jack posts 78 and 72. The last forepart 12 is rigidly secured within keyway 58 of jack section 18 over the entire area of the thimble plate 36. Finally, the jack section 18 is locked in position on base 20 by the pin 92 engagement with plate 82.

At this point, the stationing apparatus transports the last 10 to the second station. The step to be performed at the second station, say, the heating of the shoe, may require that the shoe be oriented 90 degrees from its initial position as shown in FIG. 1, to the position shown in FIG. 3. To accomplish this, the solenoid 90 is -actuated, thereby withdrawing pin 92 from notch 88a. The circular solenoid 76-80 is energized to turn the last 10 90-degrees counterclockwise or until the pin 92 is in register with notch 88b. Then the solenoid 90 is deenergized allowing pin 92 to snap into the groove 88b. The plate 82, and hence the last 10 are now positively held at just the proper angle for the heating step. Subsequent roughing, cementing or trimming steps may require still different orientations of the last 10. Accordingly, plate 82 has a plurality of appropriately positioned notches 88c and 88d, each notch corresponding to a given orientation of the last 10 required. in the process. The plate 82, being conveniently located below the base 20, is easily accessible, and can be removed with a minimum amount of down time and replaced by a different one depending upon the type of shoe being made.

The operations of solenoids and 90 as well as of locking means 26 and pressure mechanism 24 are all coordinated within a timing sequence. This may be accomplished by any conventional programming means. Thus, quick and accurate mounting of the shoe and positioning of the last 10 to the 'diiferent angles necessary in any automatic shoemaking operation are accomplished with this invention.

Referring now to FIG. 5, at the last stage in the manufacturing process, the finished lasted shoe 22 is removed from the last 10 simply by retracting the locking means 26. The jack posts 70 and '72 withdraw from their respective thimble portions in counter section 14, the downward force on jack post 72 overcoming the spring bias of pin 44. The posts 70 and 72 go below the surface 12a of last forepart 12, permitting counter section 14 to slide upwardly, forwardly parallel to the saw-cut 48. The lengthwise tension on the shoe 22 is eased. The shoe can now be slid easily off the forepart 12 using any conventional mechanical belt (not shown) and dropped into a conveniently located container.

It will be understood, that the shoe 22 slides off the forepart 12 at the widest part on the shoe. As a result, the removal of the shoe 22 from the last forepart 12 is accomplished with no strain on or distortion to the shoe upper. Moreover, as seen from FIG. 5, there is essentially no flexing of the sole of the shoe 22 during its removal from the last. At this point, the last in is ready to receive a new shoe 22.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing, then, that my shoe last will enable any of a wide variety of types and sizes of shoes to be manufactured on a fully automated basis. The last proper may be made simply and inexpensively in accordance with the usual last manufacturing processes and will accommodate any of the known modes of manufacturing shoes. Furthermore, different lasts may be interchanged easily in the apparatus resulting in very little down time between runs. Lasts made in accordance with this invention automatically maintain exactly the correct alignment of the shoe at each successive station in the shoe making process. At the end of the assembly line, the last automatically releases the shoe without causing distortion to the shoe or strain on its seams. The shoe then drops into a container.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe last comprising a main forepart and a separable counter section, said forepart and counter section being adapted to mate slidably along a surface extending upwardly, forwardly from the rear of the last through the arch area and through the bottom of the last; a base; means for rigidly maintaining said forepart on said base; at least one thimble hole extending through said forepart and into said counter section and a reciprocative post which is sl-idable into said thimble hole when said counter section and said forepart are in said mating engagement.

2. A shoe last comprising a main forepart and a separable counter section, said forepart and counter section being adapted to mate slidably along a surface extending upwardly, forwardly from the rear of the last through the arch area and through the bottom of the last; a base; means for rigidly maintaining said forepart on said base; at least one thimble hole extending through said forepart and into said counter section, and a corresponding number of retractable posts slidable into said thimble holes when said counter section and said forepart are in said mating engagement.

3. A shoe last comprising a main forepart and a separable counter section, said forepart and counter section being adapted to mate slidably along a surface extending upwardly, forwardly from the rear of the last through the arch area and through the bottom of the last; a base; means for rigidly maintaining said forepart on said base; means for holding said counter section in mating engagement with said forepart, a rigid thimble plate secured to the top of said forepart and covering substantially the entire surface thereof; a keyway integral with said base for keying with said thimble plate; a bolt having one end secured to said base, said bolt extending through said thimble hole and terminating below said surface and means for removably securing said forepart to said bolt, whereby said last is held in rigid alignment with respect to said base.

4. A shoe last comprising a main forepart and a separable counter section, said forepart and counter section having mating faces of separation extending from the rear of the last through the arch area and to the bottom of the last; at least one thimble hole extending from the .top of said last through said forepart and into said counter section for slidably receiving a post when said faces are in mating engagement.

5. A shoe last as defined in claim 4 and further including means for supporting said last, and a post protruding from said supporting means, said post being slidably received in said thimble hole so as to hold said counter section in mating engagement with said forepart when it extends into said counter section and to release said counter section when it is retracted therefrom.

6. A shoe last as defined in claim 4 and further including means for rotatively supporting said last and means for locking said last in selected angular positions.

7. A shoe last as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a key mounted on and covering substantially the entire thimble hole area of said last forepart, a keyway for keying with said key integral with said base, a tubular bolt having one end secured to the bottom of said keyway, and extending through said thimble hole coaxially with said post, said bolt terminating below said surface, and means for securing said forepart to said bolt.

8. A shoe last as defined in claim 1 and a retractable pad arranged close above said last, said pad being adapted to move down toward said last, parallel to said surface when said post slides into the portion of said thimble hole within said counter section.

9. A shoe last constructed of a unitary piece of rigid material, means defining at least one thimble hole extending up from the thimble hole area of said last a substantial distance therethrough, means defining an oblique cut through said last, said out extending from the rear of said last upwardly, forwardly to the bottom thereof, said cut also passing through said thimble hole whereby to divide said last into mating fore and aft parts, each containing a portion of said thimble hole, and at least one retractable post adapted to slide into said thimble hole when said parts are mated to prevent said parts from sliding relative to one another.

10. A shoe last as defined in claim 9 and a relatively resilient spacing member positioned at the interface of said parts and secured to one thereof.

11. A shoe last as defined in claim 9 wherein said fore and aft parts are constructed of heat conducting material and include heating means therein.

12. A shoe last as defined in claim 9 wherein at least one of said posts has a tapered upper end which is adapted to Wedge into the portion of its said thimble hole within said aft part to facilitate the mating of said fore and aft parts.

13. A shoe last as defined in claim 9 wherein said last has two thimble holes and two posts adapted to move in unison, a base, means for rotatively mounting said last on said base, the axis of rotation corresponding to the axis of one of said posts, means for moving said posts axially between a first position wherein they extend into said aft part and a second position wherein they retract from said aft part.

14. A shoe last as defined in claim 13 and means for rotating said last on said base and means for locking said last in selected angular positions.

15. A shoe last as defined in claim 14 wherein said locking means includes a removable registering plate mounted for rotation with said last.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,688,354 10/1928 Ray 12-135 2,893,059 7/1959 Capdevila 12-135 X 2,932,064 4/1960 Farmer et al l2-135 X 3,164,866 1/1965 Mattern 12-123 X 3,203,050 8/1965 Hoffman 12-123 X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOE LAST COMPRISING A MAIN FOREPART AND A SEPARABLE COUNTER SECTION, SAID FOREPART AND COUNTER SECTION BEING ADAPTED TO MATE SLIDABLY ALONG A SURFACE EXTENDING UPWARDLY, FORWARDLY FROM THE REAR OF THE LAST THROUGH THE ARCH AREA AND THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST; A BASE; MEANS FOR RIGIDLY MAINTAINING SAID FOREPART ON SAID BASE; AT LEAST ONE THIMBLE HOLE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FOREPART AND INTO SAID COUNTER SECTION AND A RECIPROCATIVE POST WHICH IS SLIDABLE INTO SAID THIMBLE HOLE WHEN SAID COUNTER SECTION AND SAID FOREPART ARE IN SAID MATING ENGAGEMENT. 